Cellulose-ether solvent and composition



Patented 2, 1924.

STATES EDWARD S. FABROW, JR., OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CELLULOSE-ETHER SOLVENT AND COMPOSITION.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD S. FARRow, Jr., a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Rochester, in the coun- 6 ty of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cellulose-Ether Solvents and Compositions, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

l This invention relates to solvents for making strong flowable solutions of cellulose ether and also relates to the cellulose ether compositions produced by the .aid of such solvents. One object of my invention is to is provide a solvent which will dissovle large proportions of cellulose ethers and at the same time yield solutions having a regulated viscosity for use in plastic and film making arts. Another objectof my invention is to an provide a cellulose ether solution, which has a regulated viscosity, for making strong, flexible, transparent film on the machines and by the methods known in the art.

lln U. S. Patent No. 1,188,376, Lilienfeld,

June 20, 1916; there are disclosed a series of alkyl ethers of cellulose. Certain of these are practically insoluble in water, and my invention is particularly applicable to ethers having that property, although notlimited to them. Such ethers form strong and useful solutions in mixtures of methyl acetate and methyl alcohol. Nevertheless it is sometimes desirable to reduce the viscosity of such solutions, in order to regulate them for film manufacture, without substantially diluting them.

l have discovered that such regulation of the viscosity may be effected by adding small amounts of aniline acetate to the mixture of methyl acetate and methyl alcohol. Aniline acetate by itself does not have as much solvent action on cellulose ether as a mixture of methyl alcohol and methyl acetate. The addition of small amounts of it to such mixture would not, therefore, be expected to have a lowering eflect on the viscosity of the resulting solution of cellulose ether. But an amount of aniline acetate equal to one-seventieth of the wei ht of the methyl acetate and methyl alco ol 1922. Serial No; 573,462.

Y but I find that a solution containing 1 part by weight of aniline acetate to parts of Bl) the mixture of methyl acetate and methyl alcohol is particularly useful, yet any dilution of the solution is negligible. The mix- :ture of the acetate and alcohol may vary also, butI prefer to use the ratio of 90 parts 66 by weight of the former to 10 parts by weight of the latter. I

The amount of cellulose ether dissolved in the complete viscosity-regulating solvent may, of course, be considerably varied. By 70 way of example, 'I may dissolve 1 part of water-insoluble ethyl cellulose in from 3 to 6 parts of the mixed solvent.

It will be noted that some of the aniline acetate remains in the finished film formed by flowing or depositing such dopes in the usual way. Other substances which impart additional suppleness or incombustibility, or other qualities to the'film may be added to the above solutions or dopes, such modifying agents being, for instance, triphenyl or tricresyl phosphate, camphor, monochlornaphthalene, etc.

The ingredients are of the ordinary commercial type sufficiently purified for the process of film manufacture, so as to give dopes yielding films having the proper relative freedom from color.

Having thus described my invention, what 3 I claim as new and desire to' secure by Let- W ters Patent is:

1. A. composition of matter comprisin cellulose ether dissolved in a mixture 0 methyl alcohol, methyl acetate and aniline acetate.

. 2. A flowablefilm-forming composition comprising an alkyl ether of cellulose dissolved 'in a mixture of methyl alcohol, methyl acetate and aniline acetate, the weight of the latter being approximately .one-seventieth the combined weights of the film comprising cellulose ether and aniline methyl acetate and methyl alcohol. acetate. l0 3. A composition ofmatter comprising a 5. As an article of manufacture, a flowed, solution of 1 part by Weight of water-inflexible. transparent film comprising Watersoluble ethyl cellulose in from 3 to 6, parts of insoluble ethyl cellulose? and aniline acetate. a mixture of methyl alcohol, methyl acetate Signed at Rochester, New York, this 30th and aniline acetate. day of June. 1922.

4. As an article of manufacture, a flexible EDWARD S. FARROW, JR.- 

